Eisenkern Character Creation
NOTE Eisenkern is entirely an informal playground, so actual stats aren't super important. I use them because I'm a gamer and it's an easy way to establish 'power levels', so to speak. I know, for example, that a Solar Elf (+1 to all attributes) is more likely to beat a Human (+2 to one attribute, +1 to another) at various random tasks, though the human will dominate in their chosen field of expertise. Due to what I like to call 'Plot Modifiers', it's entirely possible for a character to win against all odds or lose despite having the advantage, if that is what would be appropriate for the story at hand. Fate is a real force in Eisenkern, and it actively alters reality for it's own purposes. With that all in mind... here's the basics. Character Creation 101 The first thing you should decide for any given character is their species. This has a massive impact story-wise, and a decent impact on your stats as well. For this example, we'll go with the standard: Humans. Every Eisenkern character has three stats. Might Might refers to physical strength and endurance. A character with high Might is a capable fighter, an athelete, or otherwise very tough. This is used for any check where the question at hand is "Am I strong enough?" Spirit Spirit refers to mental and magical ability. A character with high Spirit is very intelligent, either a scholar or a mage of some kind. This is used for any check where the question at hand is "Am I smart enough?" Agility Agility refers to speed and dexterity. A character with high Agility is quick on their feet and has excellent reflexes, typically a rogue or archer. This is used for any check where the question at hand is "Am I fast enough?" Whenever an attribute is used, a d20 roll is made and your attribute is added to the result. Bonuses are typically fairly small, but rolls aren't required for simple tasks (You don't need to worry about your MANLY BARBARIAN failing a roll and being unable to open a jar of peanut butter!). Every attribute starts at 2. You can increase two of your attributes by 1 each, or one attribute by 2 points. Then, add the bonuses for your species. EXAMPLE: Making a Human, I start with M:2 | S:2 | A:2. I decide to add one each to Might and Agility (This character is fast and strong, probably a brawler of some kind.) This puts me at M:3 | S:2 | A:3. Now I add the human bonus. Humans get +2 to an attribute of your choice, and +1 to a second attribute. (All species get a total of +3 attributes. Humans are one of the few races capable of picking which attribute recieves the bonus.) I decide to add 2 to Agility and 1 to Might, leaving me with M:4 | S:2 | A: 5. Now I have a decent idea of what my character is like. He's very quick and strong, but is either magically inept or not very intelligent. He's quite good at physical tasks, but won't be an Archmage anytime soon. Experience Eisenkern characters generally start at level 1. Whenever they go through an extraordinary event or achieve something special, they gain Experience. Every species has a different rate of growth, usually inverse to their lifespan. EXAMPLE: Humans have a 100% XP Gain, they are the standard by which other species are measured. A Human requires exactly 100 XP to level up. Meanwhile, Solar Elves (50% XP Gain) require 200 XP to achieve the same amount of growth. This is balanced somewhat by the fact that Solar Elves live signifigantly longer than humans on average. When a character levels up, they may add +1 to the attribute of their choice. However, the attribute they increase must be one that gained them XP at some point during the last level. EXAMPLE: Take the Human I made above, for example. If he levels up by beating up a ton of monsters (Might) and avoiding a lot of traps (Agility), he can't increase Spirit when he levels up. Now, if at some point he sat down and gained XP via research or magic use, he'd be able to. Only being able to increase one or two attributes when you level up is a sign of an unbalanced character (which isn't a bad thing, necessarily...) Believe it or not, that's pretty much it! That's the stat side of things, the end, do not pass go. Category:Eisenkern